Artist Statement and Resume

Garret Pendergrass Artist Statement

Garret Pendergrass is a Fort Worth based Ceramic Artist and teacher. Coming from three generations of builders, design has always been a part of his life:

“My grandpa, an engineer, helped rebuild Anchorage after a large earthquake in 1965. Until his retirement, my father took part in building homes and assisting in downtown revitalization in major metropolises like Houston, DFW, and San Antonio. My mother’s calling was to help people and families build their lives by assisting them in buying their first homes or starting their businesses.”

It is no wonder why he is drawn to clay. Pottery allows Garret to construct his ideas into forms that excite him and realize what he is, a builder.

Garret is partially influenced from his childhood memories:

“My friends and I would go down to the river by my house and play explorer, fish, and swim. We threw rocks against other rocks to see if we were strong enough to break them apart. Surprisingly, they were pretty easy to crack open, and sometimes what we later deemed to be “valuable crystals” became exposed upon impact. We spent hours trying to break open rocks to see what it looked like on the inside. If it shined, we later hid them in a box for fear that if others found out what valuables we found, they would take them. Little did we know we amounted more of a mess in my mom’s garage than riches and glory.”

Recalling the energy and excitement he experienced from finding “treasure” allows him to use these memories to influence and transform the clay into works of art.

Over the years he has continued to hunt for hidden “treasure” by taking the time to find, not just what is pleasing to his eye, but also what excites his. Early in the twentieth century, prior to WWI, a formation of ideas stirred together to create Expressionist Architecture. In reaction to the dreary, unattractive buildings being built in Berlin, artists like Taut, Scharoun, and Fensterlin desired to create structures that enhanced their cityscape for the exponentially growing population. Although, few of their designs were actually constructed, they left behind innumerable drawings, writings, and models that communicate their aesthetic criteria. Though there are a myriad of characteristics, some traits seem to sparkle like the rocks by the river Garret recalls from his childhood.

Distortion helps express the energy Garret had as a child in his own work:

“Every day as a boy I saw grass, flowers, and other organic, even unruly, images by the river. They became commonplace to me, but by breaking open a rock, I revealed the unordinary, hidden beauty of nature. Mineral formations are one quality Expressionist architects employ that associates with my “treasure.” Expressionist architects distort the entire building as opposed to just the building’s accents — such as railings and balconies found in Art Noveau architecture. Like their blueprints, I plan each form with a preliminary drawing but try to keep a sense of spontaneity, allowing the form to grow and take its own shape during the building process. Fueled by fond memories of my past as well as becoming familiar with Expressionist architecture provided the foundation to build my vessels.”